Particle remover



E. M. ROTH Oct. 14, 1969 PARTICLE REMOVER Filed April '7. 1967 FIGS If-J VEN 'IUR. ERIC M. ROTH Wail/1% United States Patent 3,471,977PARTICLE REMOVER Eric M. Roth, 81 Clansrnan Blvd., Toronto, Ontario,Canada Filed Apr. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 629,323 Int. Cl. B24d 11/06 US. Cl.51-383 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The application describes alint removing implement where a retaining body with an aperture foldsabout a crease line which if completed would pass through the apertureand provides a piece of abrasive surfaced material which when the bodyis folded is exposed through the aperture.

A flexible extension of said body is shaped and located in the foldedposition of the body to maintain said abrasive surfaced material exposedthrough said aperture for contacting surfaces to be brushed. Means areprovided on the body for attaching the abrasive material thereto.

This invention relates to a device for removing unwanted particles fromthe surface of textile material, usually clothing.

The unwanted particles may include: lint, pills (being small balls offibre or the like), dust and ash.

The invention generally provides a foldable body preferably of plastic,which, in its unfolded attitude, defines an aperture, and which isdesigned to be folded upon itself at locations in the aperture definingmaterial on opposed sides of the said aperture. The folded body thusprovides a slot, corresponding to the aperture, adjacent the foldlocations in the closed position of the carton. A projection is providedattached to the said body on an inside surface, relative to the foldedposition, the projection being arranged and shaped to provide an edgeprojecting toward the outside of said slot in the folded position ofsaid body. Means are provided for locating particle removing materialretained in a position, folded about said edge, with an operative sideof said material outwardly facing, projecting through said slot.

In a preferred form of the invention, the projection itself projectsthrough the slot and the material folded thereabout, extends on bothsides of said edge inwardly through said slot, for retention therein.

In drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the device in open position;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the device in closed position; and

FIGURE 3 is a view along the lines 33 of FIG- URE 2.

In drawings; a body of the sheet like material, preferably plastic,comprises a central portion 12 and two end portions 14. The two endportions 14 are each separated from the central portion by an aperture16 each of which is defined by a central portion 12, and end portion 14and a pair of opposed side aperture defining extents 18, which on eachside of central portion 12, connect the central and end portions of thebody. These extents 18, in respect to each aperture 12, represent thelocation where folding of the body is to take place, and the shape andthickness of extents 18 is designed with this in mind. In the preferredform of the invention, the body is integrally constructed ofpolypropylene which, when correctly dimensioned, is reversibly bendablean extremely large number of times; and in such preferred form, theextents 18 are dimensioned to be bendable about a line LL correspondingto each aperture 16 extending across the approximate centre of theadjacent defined aperture 16. The respective lines are preferablyparallel and define a folding direction.

Although the bent portions of extents 18 must be considered as defininga bent extent rather than a fold line, the line LL joining the middlesof opposed bent extents is considered as the fold line or fold directionand it is such line, extended to between the opposed extents 18, whichextends approximately centrally across the aperture.

The central member 12 is ridged and ribbed for rigidity by the provisionof edge members 20 perpendicular to the folding direction and projectinginwardly relative to the folded attitude of the body (see FIGURE 2); andby thickened areas, and ribs 22, extending parallel to the fold lines.The ribs 22 are each in the preferred form provided with a centralgroove 24, which is designed to face the end portions 14 in the foldedattitude and running along the outward end of the defining walls of agroove, there is provided a small abutment 26, extending to narrow thegroove mouth, for a purpose to be specified hereafter.

On the side of each aperture, running generally parallel to the foldingdirection, there are provided a line of sharpened, inwardly directedprojections 28, for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The end portions 14 are each dimensioned, so that, in the foldedposition of the device, they will slide within the edge members 20.

Each edge member 14 is provided with a projecting member 30, flexiblyattached to the edge member along a line 31, roughly parallel to thefold line and, in the unfolded attitude of the device, being generallyinwardly directed toward the central member. The member 30 is providedwith an edge 32 generally parallel to the fold direction which in theunfolded position of the device overlies the aperture 16 and in thefolded position will mount particle removing material, folded about theedge 32 and projecting through the slot formed by the aperture, in thefolded position of the device. In a preferred form of the invention, themember 30, is preferably dimensioned so that the edge 32 will projectslightly outwardly through the slot formed by the aperture 16 in thefolded attitude of the device beyond the convex outward portion ofextents 18 in the folded position; and the member 30 is furtherdimensioned so that it will extend through the aperture 16 (becoming aslot in the folded attitude) between the slot-defining edges of extents18.

In the end portions 14, on the side of each aperture 16, and runninggenerally parallel to the folding direction, there are provided inwardlydirected projections 34 which are designed in the folded position of thedevice, to approximately oppose the similar projections 28 through theprojection 30. There is also provided outwardly of the projection 30, arib 36 running generally parallel to the fold direction. The groovedribs 22 in the central member, are respectively located so that theywill, in the folded position, receive in the grooves 24, the rib 36 ofthe nearer end portions and the grooves are dimensioned to receive theportion ribs. The end portion ribs 36 are provided with a slightthickening 38 on one side thereof (when viewed in cross-section) andrunning along the rib 38 to snap under the abutment 26 in the ribgrooves 24 and, when so actuated, to hold the end members 14 in foldedposition. For ornamental purposes, one of the end members 14 may, at itsend remote from the fold line, provide a flange 40 which is positionedto overlie the meeting edge, in the folded position, of the two endmembers.

Swatches of particle removing material 44 and 42 is provided for foldingover each of the edge 32. This may be found to be different fordifferent types of particles and for different fabrics. In the preferredembodiment one of these materials 42 is preferably a nylon fabric withthe uncut bights of relatively rigid uncut loops, such as that soldunder the trademark Velchrome while the other material 44 is relativelyopen mesh covered with abrasive and covered with a lacquer to round offthe abrasive edges. The material is of sufficient size, in onedimension, to extend in the folded position from over pointed abutments28 about edge 32 and over the adjacent row of pointed abutments 34 andin the dimension perpendicular thereto, is preferably the length of theedge 32.

The device is assembled, at the end without overlying flange 40 byplacing the device, in the unfolded position but with what will be theinside, in the folded position, facing upwardly. The material is placedwith an operative side downwardly, with one side overlying projections34, the material extending across the aperture with the other sideoverlying projection 28. The projection 30 thus overlies approximatelyhalf of the material.

The end portion 14 is then folded inwardly to seat the ribs 36 in ribgrooves 24. As such folding is taking place, the material 44 is bent, bythe approaching portions of the outer and central members, about edge32. The ribs are affixed in position and the folded side held in placeby snapping the abutments 38 on ribs 36, under the abutments 26 in ribgroove 24, along the length thereof. With the folding and the afiixing,of the folded member in position, the material is held in placenear oneend by the projections 28 bearing through the material on projection 30and near the other end by the projections 34 bearing through thematerial on projection 30.

Material 42 is placed on, and the other end portion 14 folded intoposition in a similar manner with the overlying flange 40 masking thejunction between the abutting edges.

There is thus provided an instrument which may be manually grasped, withthe one or the other lint removing material areas held to contact and berubbed on the fabric to be cleaned.

It will be realized that other means may be used within the broad scopeof the invention, than the abutments 28 and 34 to hold the fabric inposition, such as by gluing. It will be realized that other means may beused, within the broad scope of the invention, than the ribs 36 and ribgroove 24 for retaining the device in closed position. However themethods shown are those presently preferred.

It will be realized that a device may be made within the scope of theinvention, wherein only one particle removing material will be used andhence only one folding end portion 14 will be provided.

It will also be realized that if desired, in the embodiment shown, theprojection 30 might be placed on the central member instead of the outermember, to project toward and over aperture in the unfolded position.

Further it will be noted that the co-operating rib and ribbed groovesneed not be parallel to the fold direction but merely symmetrical withrespect thereto and it will be realized that the pointed projections 28or 34 need not be parallel to the fold direction.

It will be realized that the positions of the ribs and rib grooves maybe interchanged about a fold line LL.

I claim:

1. A device for removing unwanted particles from fabric comprising, incombination:

a body member defining an aperture therethrough, said body beingreversibly foldable upon itself from an open to closed position by afold in the body material on opposed sides of said aperture;

a projection flexibly extending from said body located to be inside theclosed position of said body di mension so that, in the closed positionof said body, an edge on said projection projects into said aper ture;

said body, when in its folded condition, and said projection definingmeans for securing particle remov ing material folded over said edgesaid material being located in said aperture.

2. A device for removing unwanted particles from fabric, comprising, incombination a sheet like body of plastic material;

an aperture defined therein;

said body being designed and dimensioned to be reversibly folded uponitself by bending the body in locations on opposed sides of saidaperture, the line joining said locations defining a fold direction;

a projection from said sheet on the side to be located inside said bodyin the folded position thereof;

said projection having an edge, extending along said aperture in thefolded position of said body, said edge being adjacent said line;

said body, when in its folded condition, and said projection definingmeans for securing particle removing material folded over said edge saidmaterial being located in said aperture; and

means for retaining said body in the folded position.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said projection is attached tosaid body at a location transverse relative to said line, oriented inthe open position, to lie adjacent to said body and dimensioned so thatin the open position of said body, said edge overlies said aperture.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein means are provided forplacing in the unfolded position of said body, particle removingmaterial between said projection and the side of said body to which itis attached and with said material extending out beyond said edge tooverlie said aperture, and extend to the inside of the opposite sidethereof from the side to which said projection is attached, and with anactive part of said particle removing material facing the outside ofsaid body in said folded position, whereby on the folding of said body,said partcle removing material, is folded about said projection with anactive side of said particle removing material exposed outwardly at saidaperture.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein means are provided on saidbody for clamping in the folded position of said body, said particleremoving material in position on each side of said aperture.

6. A device for removing unwanted particles from fabric comprising:

a foldable plastic body, which in its unfolded attitude provides anaperture defined by edges, said body being designed to be folded uponitself at locations in the aperture defining material on opposed sidesof the saidaperture, to provide a slot defined by the edges of saidaperture;

a projection attached to said body on an inside surface, relative to thefolded position, is arranged and shaped to provide an edge projectingtowards the outside of said slot in the folded position of said body;

and means for locating particle removing material retained in aposition, folded about said edge, with an operative part of saidmaterial outwardly facing, and projecting outwardly through said slot.

7. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein means are provided for placingin the unfolded position of said body, particle removing materialbetween said projection and the side of said body to which it isattached and with said material extending out beyond said edge tooverlie said aperture, and extend to the inside of the opposite sidethereof from the side to which said projection is attached, and with anactive part of said particle removing material facing the outside ofsaid body in said folded position, whereby on the folding of said body,said particle removing material, is folded about said projection with anactive side of said particle removing material exposed outwardly at saidaperture.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein means are provided on saidbody for clamping in the folded posi tion of said body, said particleremoving material in position on each side of said aperture.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 486,976 11/1892 Mayhew 51-3833,330,077 7/1967 Kanbar et a1. 51205 FOREIGN PATENTS 510,553 8/1939Great Britain.

5 OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 15-105

